Mayonaka :: Midnight
by Been Historic-xx
Summary: The cats of the New Prophecy have long ago lived and died. Now, young Moonpaw of WindClan lives to serve her clan, until one night. A terrible battle steals away her dreams, and she must learn to live all over again.
1. Prologue

A lithe shadow moved silently, gracefully over the crest of the hill, nearly flattened to the ground, two blazing amber eyes shining. The night sky, with the brilliance of Silverpelt and the crescent candle that was her namesake, glittered high above her head, casting the world in ethereal light. Her short, sleek coat shone in the light of star and moon, the smokey, almost black gray turned near silver in the shifting light. Only her ivory paws broke the darkness, small and soft, though hiding deadly knives. As she moved, the gusting wind plastered her pelt to her sides, showing every liquid-like movement, every seamless step.

Moonpaw was training to become a warrior. That was all that filled her mind. The fact that she was the 'beauty of WindClan' meant near to nothing to her. Every hunting trip, every battle practice, every leap, every stride, every beat of her heart, was made for that goal. She wanted to serve her clan, she wanted to do her best. Whether or not she was the best within her clan, or the best around the lake, she didn't care. She wanted to reach her limit. She yearned, desperately, to reach that fine line that would be the most she would ever do. And cross it.

But then she paused, lifting her head high to scent the strange, almost rank smell in the air. Her eyes widened, ears flicking back against her head, the fur along her spine tingling. So far in her life, she had not learned this scent, but instinct, buried deep within every cat, took over. Whatever it was, it was dangerous, and it was close.

A paw-step reached her ear, muffled by both the soft ground and the whipping wind, but a paw-step, behind her. Moonpaw whirled around, her pelt on end, eyes narrowed, and a snarl forming across her dark muzzle. It was a lean form that met her eyes, tall and large, long, and a bright ginger in color. It had a long, thin snout, and a bushy ginger tail, ending in black, as did all four of its paws. And, in the seconds it took her to take its dark form in, it barreled toward her.

Without hesitation, she dodged to the side, its long, narrow muzzle snapping closed on open air inches from her shoulder. She twisted and leaped, her movements almost like some strange dance. But this was no dance, no game. Moonpaw could see the deadly intent blazing in the creature's eyes. Landing on its shoulders, she dug her thorn-sharp claws deep, biting down, hard, on the back of its neck. A fierce sound erupted from it, and it swung around, trying to dislodge the painful burden, but she held on tightly, somehow knowing that this was one of the few positions where it would be much harder for her opponent to reach her.

But suddenly she was thrown from her perch, slamming into the ground with a sickening thud. Sharp fangs buried themselves in her shoulder, and her cry of pain rang loud across WindClan's open moorland, ripped from her muzzle by the gusting wind. She struck out at the creature's muzzle, both forepaws and hind-paws slashing fiercely at her attacker. With a savage cry, it jumped back, away from the stinging claws, and she immediately pushed at the ground, rolling quickly away and using the momentum to regain her paws. Moonpaw's shoulder felt as if it was burning, and she could feel the cold trickle of blood as it trailed down her right foreleg. She hissed at the creature before her, only it didn't move to attack again. It didn't have to.

Thrown off balance from behind, Moonpaw was knocked to the ground once more, this time the needle-like teeth biting deep into her back, right below her neck. Her yowl grew in intensity, a shriek, rising with the wave of pain shooting through her. With the pain came one thought in a sudden icey clarity. There were two of them. They were larger, and stronger, faster and more experienced.

More teeth grabbed at her, the other joining its partner, and the pain shot up her hind-leg. The already dark world, now scarcely lit as rolling clouds were blown across the sky, seemed to grow darker, her fierce amber eyes losing their light. She couldn't even feel each attack anymore, just felt the waves of injury and pain sweep through her. She struck out at them somewhat feebly, but she doubt her claws even connected. But then her eyes cleared again, her ears ringing with the battle cries of her clan mates, of the warriors of WindClan, and she saw the group of cats clash with the ginger creatures, but she couldn't move from where she lay, torn and broken and bleeding.

Moonpaw closed her eyes, her breathing shallow, but she was still conscious, still aware of the sounds of battle. Then a victorious cry was taken up by those around her, but she didn't join in, she couldn't join in. She blinked her amber eyes, catching a glance of some cat walking toward her, recognition lost. The feline leaned down, fear and worry in their eyes, and her own closed once more, and she slipped away.


	2. Chapter 1

My eyes were closed, my breathing slow, my mind quiet. But I was awake. My almost black pelt moved with the wind blowing gently across me, my nose easily picking up all the scents of the WindClan camp. My ears twitched at the quiet, constant buzzing of clan life, and of voices nearby, but I didn't bother to pick out the words. I was lost in blackness, a wonderful emptiness of my mind, no memories or thoughts there to wake me. Only that annoying buzz of voices had awoken me. My whiskers twitched in irritation, and then I heard my name. It was Fleetwing's voice, I was absolutely sure of it, although nothing had given me any reason to hink about that mere seconds before. Why would the medicine cat be talking about me?

I tried to open my eyes, and found I couldn't. Suddenly the warm darkness that had surrounded me turned icey and roughly pushed myself to my paws, shaking my head.

Pain shot through my body, and I fell back to the ground with a loud cry. The world seemed to freeze, to disappear, obliterated by the shock of the unleashed flood. Slowly the pain subsided and was replaced by overpowering numbness. My mind went completely blank once more, but this time I could feel each second ticking by, and my blinded mind could hear the startled and worried tones of Fleetwing, though the words went unheard. When the world pressed against my side once more, when the wind brushed its gentle fingers over my smokey coat once more, I could hear her speaking to me, could feel her comforting nose pressing against my cheek.

**"Moonpaw, are you alright?" **I made a small noise, all that my throat could make after the violent cry of pain. I still couldn't see, but then again, I couldn't move much either. Fleetwing seemed fine with this, and turned away from me. The unleashed scents told me that she was picking out a few herbs, and I would have blinked from the smells, if my eyes had been open. **"Here, eat this." **One of her paws was right in front of my muzzle, and I made myself lick up the herbs she was holding. Seeing that I had, the medicine cat must have turned to someone else, for her next words were surely not directed at me. **"She'll be alright."**

**"You're sure?" **Duskflight! It was my mother she had been talking to, and the caring she-cat's worry sent a pang of guilt through me. I never liked to have anyone worry over me, because usually I was fine. _Usually._

**"Yes, but you'll do her no good standing around here worrying. Go on, shoo. Bring us back something to eat." **That made me smile as I lay there. Sweet and caring Fleetwing seemed to never grow angry, but she had a way about her of chiding the warriors of WindClan, getting her way and often teasing them at times. And her mother didn't object, and didn't say anything, leading me to think she had nodded, or something like that, and left as she had been told to. Fleetwing neared me again. I couldn't see her, of course, but I could feel her right by my side. **"So you're awake?"**

I felt the strength to nod, and did so, and felt her tail on my shoulder. **"Don't move if you can help it."** she warned. I didn't dare to say otherwise; it hurt to simply move my head!

**"Fleetwing? Why can't I see?"** My voice was quiet, like a whisper, and the sounds hurt my throat. But I had to know. She stiffened slightly, but her voice when she replied was soft, an attempt to sooth me.

**"Don't worry, your eyes are fine. They were just covered when I was treating your other injuries." **Other injuries? In mind mind, I shook my head in confusion, though I didn't try it in the real world.

**"What other injuries? What happened to me?" **I felt a shiver run down my spine. Shadows of memories ran just outside of my range of thought, and I knew something big had happened to me. But what it had been escaped me, teasing me with flashes of a dark night, of the crescent moon high above my head.

Fleetwing took a while to answer me, gathering resolve after her surprise at finding I didn't remember. But her voice soon began. **"Ghostpatch heard you, and quickly woke up a few warriors and led them to fight off the foxes. He and your mother carried you back to the camp, and into my care." **My mind swam as she told me this, my thoughts quick and fleeting. Ghostpatch was the guard of the camp that night, I remembered passing him and telling him I would do a bit of hunting. And then he had also been the dark form I saw as my eyes closed that last time. Foxes must have been those ginger creatures. I had heard of the dangerous creatuers, but I had never faced or even encountered them myself, until now. But I still couldn't remember anything specific, only flashes of light and the memory of pain.

**"What happened to me?" **I asked again, my voice even quieter. But I wasn't speaking of the events of that night. I was thinking about right now, about why I couldn't open my eyes, about why every movement sent pain all throughout my body. Fleetwing must have noticed this, for her words were more of a whisper, softer, as if she didn't want to tell me, but she knew she had to.

**"You were badly injured. If I hadn't know it was you, I wouldn't have been able to find out who it was."** she paused, took a breath, and continued. **"You were very lucky you won't lose your sight, but your left ear is nearly gone, and some of the skin was torn almost off, which will leave you with scars across your face. Your only other serious injury is your right fore-leg."** Again, a pause. It was a long pause, and my ears pricked forward for the next words, my fear scent probably rolling off in waves. **"Your leg was broken, very badly, and... it won't heal normally. It's not infected, but you won't walk like you did before, and probably never run again."**

**"What?" **I couldn't believe it, and my voice rose with that disbelief. Fleetwing didn't reply, but I felt her take a step back, felt the worry washing off of her. I shook my head angrily, confusedly, and again I felt the pain shoot down my spine, but this time I ignored it. Stubborn and ignorant, I once again struggled to push myself to my paws, this time keeping the weight mostly off of my right fore-leg. The pain almost overwhelmed me, and my head swam, making me sway. But Fleetwing was there at my side, and I leaned on her.

**"Lay back down."** she meowed, but I shook my head, and took a step.

It hurt. I'm not sure what hurt, my head, my paw, my leg, or something else. All I knew was that any movement flooded my mind. But I was an apprentice of WindClan! I would never give up!

I took another step.

I managed to make it slowly out into the camp, Fleetwing never moving herself from my side, always a support, but worry dripping off her pelt like rain off a leaf. It tickled a nerve, but I tried to shut it out, and kept moving. I could feel a few cats stop in their busy bustling lives and look at me, I could hear them suddenly stop talking, and perhaps whisper a word or two.

I stumbled, and fell to the ground. Tripped over my own paws. I clamped my jaw tight as the pain shot through me, and waited there until it slowly ebbed away. **"Come on, Moonpaw. Just come back into my den and lay down."** My resolve snapped back at that.

**"No."** I hissed and, stupidly, stood back up.

**"You don't argue with your medicine cat."**I bit back a growl, but I couldn't argue with Viperstar. I was never known for being bad-tempered, but perhaps it was a bit of my ancestor, Crowfeather, taking residence in his near look-alike. I sent her a glare, even with my eyes still covered and closed, but I followed the WindClan leader's orders, and let Fleetwing lead me back. She made me lay back down, and she checked me over, just to make sure I hadn't injured myself further with my little escapade. I hadn't.

**"I'm sorry." **I murmured, my head resting on my outstretched left paw. And she laughed. She laughed! It was a quiet, tinkling sound, soft and clear, but it made my ears flush with heat. I didn't even have to ask, though, because she spoke right after her laughter split the quietness of her den.

**"Don't be. You're just as stubborn as any warrior."** She paused, and I thought I could see her shake her head, probably smiling. **"But perhaps I can help you a little, by letting you see again. Keep your eyes closed until I say so." **I didn't argue, but shut my eyes tight. A moment passed, and then I felt the wind against my face. But I listened to Fleetwing, and waited for her to speak again. **"Okay."**

My bright amber eyes opened, but everything was blurred. I blinked a few times, and my sight cleared, until I could see the darkness of the medicine cat's den, and the slim sand-colored feline that slept there leaning over me. Her blue-green eyes watched me carefully as I looked around, at how the day had already become twilight, and soon the night would cover WindClan. It had been all day, although it hadn't felt that long. I looked down at my right fore-leg, but I couldn't see anything but a cobweb, leaf, and poultice covered limb. It lay at an odd angle, but sitting here, nothing hurt. I couldn't feel anything but the breeze against my smokey gray-black fur.

I closed my eyes, reveling in the darkness that had hidden the world from me all day. _What would happen to me?_


End file.
